The Deceiver's Message
by Kisaki-Kitti
Summary: Katarina finally does something about her interest in Garen; LeBlanc wishes to take advantage. Talon ends up in the Noxian Underground meeting someone he never expected. The destinies of the Du Coteaus, the Black Rose and all associated are changing, but for better or worse? Contains quite a variety of Champions.
1. A Meeting With LeBlanc

"After yesterday's defeat, LeBlanc requested I tell you; she wishes to speak with you, Katarina." Talon had said, before disappearing as is normality for him.

Katarina Du Coteau was confused more by this than anything despite her recently developing an intimate relationship with Garen of Demacia, which could certainly be the death of her should the Noxian High Command find out, as Cassiopeia had re-iterated all evening. But who were they to judge matters of the heart, when they clearly had none. Then again, it had long been debated she herself had no heart either... Guess they were all wrong. She supposed even Swain would have the ability to love someone if the chance passed by.

Anyhow, why would the leader of the long-forgotten Black Rose mages want to talk with a non-magical assassin such as Kata, when she most certainly had no use for those skills? LeBlanc was quite formidable alone, able to best many in one on one combat with her strong deceiving magicks. Anyone could defeat anyone on the Fields of Justice, but in reality, several Champions were quite superior to their fellows. She shivered at the thought of the Void creatures who were propheted to one day come for Runeterra; horrors like Cho'Gath and Kog'Maw who could endlessly devour all forms of life, or powerful beings like Malzahar himself who could wreak havoc with their abilities and tear apart the very fabrics of the realm.

This League of Legends was by far one of the most formidable collections; half the so-called 'Champions' had such strength that if the Institute of War ever lost control of them Runeterra would have its most cataclysmic and final Rune War in history, with the possibility of destroying beyond the world's boundaries and distorting even the surrounding galaxy. And yet there was nothing any one of them could do about it but hope that their plans saw through to prevent that. Or further push toward it, whatever those Champions have in mind.

Katarina's meeting with LeBlanc was quite informal, and due to circumstances, this was probably the best way to go about it. They merely spoke within the main room of the fine Du Coteau household, alone and with no disruption from the staff nor Katarina's sisters. LeBlanc had made herself comfortable upon a lounge, laying across it delicately and seeming quite at ease with the situation. Kata glared with slight irritation at the indifference of the Deceiver but said nothing of it.

"I will be brief," LeBlanc began. "The reason I am here concerns the disappearance of your father and the current events of the Noxian High Command. Simply put, it is well known that Swain and Darius eliminate all who stand in their way of becoming the top, and your father was quite a threat to that, don't you think? General Du Coteau was indeed a very powerful asset to Noxus, to the point he could have well been a rivalling suitor for High General. Maybe his disappearance could be linked to Swain's rise to power; either your father knew what was coming and fled, or he has already had it come to him."

There was a moment of silence as Kata took in the information she had just been handed. It did seem plausible; even though her father had never had any intention of becoming the sole ruler of Noxus, others may have seen him as able to do so. However she could hardly believe he would have fled without a word to her or at least Talon, who had forever been his most devoted agent. It was unlike him to leave his family blind-eyed to crucial information. Or maybe he believed that it was not important for them to know of his fate?

After some thought, Katarina responded to LeBlanc. "Knowing you, there is a reason behind you telling me this. What is your intention?"

LeBlanc's lips curved into a smile. "But of course, I wish to aid you. The only thing I want in return is for you to be in my debt, should I have need of you I will tell you so. There is one tiny thing I must note though: do not think you will be able to hide that relationship of yours from Swain for long. Come with the Black Rose, we will preserve your ties to Garen; stay with the Noxian High Command, you will likely lose your head."

She knew it. It had been more clear than anything that a dangerous partnership with the Might of Demacia would create conflict for the Du Coteau household, and that LeBlanc would take advantage of this. LeBlanc of course was just as manipulative as Swain, for she had had the time to train in the arts of persuasion for many decades more than said High General and possessed the magic to back her up should things get nasty. "Why would you support a tie to Demacia, of all people." Katarina wondered, but she felt she already had a hunch to the answer.

LeBlanc was only too happy to respond to this. "For the plans of the Black Rose, an alliance; if only temporary or partial; with Demacia, is not unwelcome. This tie could be a step closer to that."


	2. Assassination and the Underground

**As a note to the one who asked if the Du Coteaus are more than just Katarina and Cassiopeia: In Katarina's Lore it states she is unlike her _sisters._ Of course, if she only had Cassiopeia it would say sister, not sisters. Therefore I believe there are more of them, though since I don't know how many exactly I just create one. Purposely I don't name her in case Riot release another Du Coteau someday.**

* * *

Talon stepped from the safety of his bedroom, and immediately leaped to the side so as not to be caught in the grasp of the second youngest Du Coteau sister. Long had it been since he had stayed in this household, and this was the most likely reasoning: the girl was absolutely obsessed with him. She called it love, but anyone other than her refused to categorize it beneath anything but pure fangirlism, and it had traumatized Talon to the point he dared not even speak her name.  
"Leave him!" Cassiopeia hissed from nearby, and Talon wondered why she was there. It was difficult enough for the woman-transformed-Gorgon to traverse the roads of Noxus with the common ideal that all Noxians should be completely human; how did she put up with their comments on the way home? Then again there were many obviously inhuman... inhumans, in Noxus. They had the undead and a werewolf serving them loyally in their military; Talon wouldn't be surprised if they ended up with even more human-turned-monsters sometime soon. Noxians just happen to draw in all those hexes, curses and what-not. To his relief, fan girl backed off at the word of her sister. Talon made his way across the room and turned to face them when he reached the doorway. "Katarina's out, I'll assume." He said, and Cassiopeia made a small noise of confirmation, an irritable look dominating her face. He was amused by this but spoke nothing of it. "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back in a while and expect some breakfast." The last line he aimed at a house maid, who had just entered the room with a duster in her hand. She nodded at him respectfully and he took his leave.

Going for a walk to an assassin was really an understatement. Despite him keeping his ongoing investigation into the disappearance of General Du Coteau, Talon sometimes took up small requests. It would cost a lot of bribery to the requester to acquire his services but there were still some who wanted a professional to end their foe. Today's task was indeed a minor one for the Blade's Shadow; a simple grudge between a man and a black marketer who illegally sold powerful brews and ingredients. Apparently he had been ripped off by the dealer and wanted revenge badly. It wasn't unusual for assassins to kill even in public in Noxus, so the appearance of Talon in the black market district caused no surprise to the many citizens wandering about. He dared not look at them in the knowledge that he would be repulsed by what he saw. Last time he had taken notice of the population surrounding the black market he had seen cases of half-starved, drug addicted or ridiculously intoxicated men; many homeless or near it; or even afflicted by some sort of crazy magical-based infection. This was what happened when you mess with sorcery and alchemy, and it's not pretty. If he gave a damn about this city he'd probably feel that these people were a disgrace to Noxus, but he only held apathy for things like honor and discipline. Regardless, he still thought they were worthless, and if it could make a difference he would massacre all of them right there and then. Instead he merely walked up to a man responsible for looking over a stall. They looked in their early forties; skin beginning to wrinkle, hair beginning to grey. They were wearing an expensive looking outfit and were totally unaffected by any of the toxic creations sold nearby; if you met them anywhere else you'd think them to be normal.  
"Can I help you?" they asked with a tinge of fear in their voice. In less than a second Talon had grabbed hold of the man and slit his throat upon his blade in one swift movement. He let go and flicked the blade back, spattering blood across the ground. The dead man fell with a thud, blood pooling beneath him.  
"Maybe you should help yourself." Talon said to the air where the man had stood, then left the scene. The marketplace fell silent; all eyes must be watching the Blade's Shadow as he left. The paranoia faded only moments later and he felt relieved despite not having any actual fear.

Soon the grey stone brick beneath his feet became the soft carpeted hall of his home.  
"Killing again?" Cassiopeia asked, seeing the dried blood on his blade. He ignored her and proceeded to cleanse it in the corner of the room. The fan girl watched him like a hawk from her place at the table and he felt a little uneasy, but she soon turned her attention to the maids as they entered with breakfast.

"We imported this from the Summoners' realm, so it is new." The head maid told them. They placed the platters on the table and Talon saw a sausage of sorts, long and placed in a spiral. It was surrounded by beans and coated in a light saucy mix with chopped tomato. He waited for the others to taste it first before he began to eat; both sisters seemed not to mind it. Upon taking a bite he learned the food was very lacking in fat, unlike the average sausage, and it had a slight hotness to it which made it interesting. As it was a relatively large meal, he ate in quiet until half of it was gone then pushed the plate away from himself.  
"There's something I've been meaning to tell you about," he said to the girls. "I just don't know how you'll react to it." His mind wandered to the events of the past few days, before he had turned up at the doorstep of the Du Coteau household without prior notice.

* * *

Talon had not let LeBlanc and Katarina meet without him overhearing their conversation. As someone skilled in the field of stealth he had easily hidden in the room where they spoke, knowing it would be chosen over anywhere else for certain. But he was not satisfied by what he heard, only tempted to find out even more. Knowing LeBlanc there was always something she wasn't sharing.

Overwhelmed with curiosity Talon found himself in the Noxian Underground. It was not the first time he had traversed through the sprawling torch lit tunnels hidden beneath the city, but he had never been so thorough. Before now he had had no interest in the Underground and whatever lay within it. This time he was after something: The hideout of the Black Rose mages. It had been little more than an hour of searching before he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching and he hid himself behind a conveniently placed and sized rock to the side of the tunnel. From this position he was able to catch a glimpse of three men, one opening his mouth to begin conversation. "I really don't understand myself what LeBlanc is playing with them for," he said. "She could so easily coax them onto our side by telling them the truth."

One of his companions shrugged. "LeBlanc is never straightforward; she loves to mess with people. Besides, do you think it will actually do us good if they knew?"

They were beginning to draw ever closer to Talon's hiding place, and he shifted uneasily. It wouldn't be easy to escape without being seen from here if they noticed they weren't alone. Yet he desperately wanted to know what they were talking about. It seemed quite obvious who 'they' was.

Finally, he received the answer he was waiting for. "Well definitely, if they knew we had their precious father hiding amongst us in the Black Rose they would instantly follow along!"

Talon could not help but gasp aloud. His master, Katarina's father, General Du Coteau; he was in the Noxian Underground? All this time he had been seeking to avenge the disappearance of the General, thinking he may even be dead, yet he was alive. However his gasp had alerted the mages to his presence, and all three converged on his location. He had no time to say a word before he found himself bound by golden magic and unable to move.

"Look what we've found here," one said, grinning to himself. "An eavesdropping assassin; I'm disappointed that he so easily gave himself away."

Talon did not fight the bindings on him. He knew that using physical force against spells placed upon you was useless, but that wasn't the reason he refused to struggle. If the men took him captive, maybe he could learn even more than he already had. Fortunately for him, they did exactly as he wanted and began to carry him off using their magic. He watched which direction they took him intently, memorizing it in case the need to return here came in future. Mentally, he thanked them for being stupid enough not to block his view with a blindfold.

It was a while before their echoing footsteps stilled, and he was confused. All he could see were blank rocky walls lit with torches; they'd stopped in the middle of the pathway. Daring not to speak he watched them silently, and one of the men stepped towards the wall. A torch flickered purple for a slight second, and he wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't been staring at it at the time; very discreet. Suddenly Talon was thrown forward towards the rock and he braced himself for the impact. Instead of hitting the wall however, he floated through it like it was never there.

_Deception,_ he thought, and wasn't surprised. The mages chuckled, thinking he was experiencing some kind of confusion, and continued on. The passageway they had entered led down, becoming steeper and steeper before it turned into a set of stairs, spiraling into an enormous cavern. He felt a sense of awe as he realized there was an entire city beneath the city above, finely carved in stone and lit by mystical purple torches of which he guessed the flames would never falter whilst their masters remained alive. Gardens of many coloured roses lined the cityscape, growing beside houses or on rooftops, surviving off supernatural light and cleansed water from a massive black lake which dominated the far side of the cavern. At the top and center of the cavern floated a mass of illuminant magical substance that provided a dim light to the entire area. Beneath the substance there lay a palace where Talon guessed LeBlanc resided, the stone white but taking on the glows of everything around it. The entire scene was slightly eerie, but nevertheless unbelievable. So this was what the Black Rose had created in all those years, and it was by far more beautiful than the Noxian neighbor it was born from.

Descending from the last step of the long staircase the group moved through the wide main street. Several Black Rose mages surveyed them from posts at the sides of the entrance, all of them guardians of their home. They all wore a uniformed cloak and clothing of purple patterned with gold lining, reminding one of less interesting and unisex versions of LeBlanc's attire. Some were grander in appearance than others, and Talon guessed they belonged to the upper echelons of their staff-wielding army.

No sooner had he thought that all of the Black Rose were sorcerers than he saw a group approaching with blades, and a familiar female figure which he would never ever guess to be here decided to come over to speak to him. "Ah Talon, caught by such unworthy opponents? Maybe I over-estimate your skills, or you grow soft."

He stared at her speechlessly, unable to comprehend how she of all people stood here in the Noxian Underground, seeming perfectly comfortable with her surrounding companions.


	3. Strange Sights and World Upside Down

**This has been updated as I realize the spacing I put between some parts of the original document did not pass over . I realize that yes, I do not make enough breaks. This is because a long time ago I used to put in too many breaks and it was difficult for people to read either way. I have trouble finding a balance between the two. Edit: Single Line Breaks (Shift + Enter) don't seem to be working for me.**

* * *

Never had Fiora expected to be where she was, hiding awkwardly in a bush near the Serpentine River and spying on the most unlikely couple she'd ever thought of. It was not like her to intrude on people's privacy, even without them knowing; this was different to the point she HAD to know more. Two complete opposites, both rivals, and they were holding hands. Fiora understood clearly that the goal of every great warrior was to find their equal and this was true for both her and those she saw before her. But she envied them, for long had she sought out her own rival but not yet found them, not even in the League of Legends itself. It saddened her that even on the Fields of Justice all who came up against her were inferior; the League had been her last hope for a lifelong dream. Now she could just trust in the slight chance of a worthy opponent appearing sometime in the future, possibly joining the League to make her task easier. Why though was the pair in front of her together, like this?

"This is so strange isn't it," Garen said to his partner. "Strange yet it feels right some way." The redhead beside him chuckled.

"It's barely right." Katarina responded, shaking her head to emphasize it. "I could get beheaded for this. In fact, I probably will."

The Demacian warrior watched her, seeming a little concerned. "Are you worried at all, Kata?" he asked.

"No. Risk is what makes you and me fun!" Katarina playfully pushed him away from her, making him stumble into the shallows of the river beside them. She crouched like a panther preparing to pounce on its prey. "Are you ready for me now?" she cooed, taking out her daggers.

Fiora shifted her weight, her body growing tired of sitting in the same position. Something good was about to happen, and she wanted to be able to stay long enough to observe it.

Garen drew his sword from its sheath and moved into a defensive stance. He hadn't moved from the river and Fiora had to suppress a slight giggle at how his standing in it degraded his usual mighty appearance.

"I always was." Garen answered to Katarina. She leapt towards him and with a loud clang their weapons collided. Katarina bounced back onto her feet, splashing water across the scene as she landed. There was a small pause before the two proceeded to fully engage in combat where both watched each other in anticipation, wondering who would make the first move. Then Garen charged toward Katarina in attempt to take a swipe at her with his sword, failing when she responded by dashing around him and kicking him in the back. He whirled to face her and played it defensively, parrying her blows fast despite her 'advantage' of two weapons against one. Realizing it was pointless, Kata fell back and threw a blade over her shoulder as she ran, miraculously hitting him despite not even looking to aim. She did however stay within a certain range of him as he began to chase her, and he was only too happy to close the gap between them. If you knew Garen, you knew that he spins to win. And so he began spinning so fast in a circle while moving toward Katarina, like a hurricane. Fiora felt dizzy just watching him; she could never understand how he did it.

"Sure you want to get CLOSE?" Katarina yelled, and she spun in circles herself, throwing out a massive volley of kunai. Garen had no choice but to run; he knew how painful it was to get hit by her Death Lotus and didn't want to experience it today. Katarina giggled at first, but then it turned into a laugh. She stopped spinning and called to him. "I win Garen!"

He raised an eyebrow. "You win? But I'm not even finished yet!"

"If you weren't finished, you wouldn't flee in fear." Katarina winked at him, smiling cheekily.

Figuring that there would be no more conflict, Fiora decided now was a good time to take her leave. As already stated: she didn't want to invade; even if they didn't know she was; the privacy of the couple. It would not feel right. Carefully, so she didn't make too much commotion and alert them of her presence, she moved through the brush and away from the scene.

* * *

Fiora of course credited the current teleportation systems for her swift return home. It wasn't the house of Laurent that she stayed in, no. Currently she stayed in a cozy little place at the Institute of War. It wasn't much, but it had everything that she needed and most of what she wanted, and it felt safe. Even the most powerful of warriors require comfortable living and she was no exception to this. She had barely settled into a chair to enjoy a hot cup of tea when there was a knock at the door. However, before she could get up to answer a voice told her: "Just delivering a letter, Miss." And a white envelope was pushed through a designated slot in the door. Fiora moved to pick it up and then relaxed once more, drinking from her cup. She opened up the letter carefully, not wanting to tear the envelope carelessly as others would; this was a small habit of hers. Unfolding the paper she began to read, admiring the beautiful handwriting of the sender.

_Miss Fiora Laurent,_

_It has been a long time coming that I should wish to notify you of your true family history, and who better to tell you than I? Preferably, I would like to explain things in person, so I have provided a place and time for you to meet me below. Do not bring anyone with you; do not bring anything but yourself. I guarantee this will be hard to believe at first, and if other ears hear it there just may be trouble for the both of us which can be avoided. Before you begin to think about it, I will grant you this much: I can give you everything your family has not told you about your mother, even where she is and where she comes from, and this is crucial information for understanding where you truly belong. There is not much else I can include here for fear that someone will read this on its way to your hands. No worry if they do, for I am prepared should anyone invade our meeting. I greatly look forward to this, Fiora._

_-Madame N._

She read further and indeed did find the details of where to meet the sender; it gave details on where to find a tunnel near the Institute of War which she had never known existed before now. The location did seem slightly suspicious. Looking over the main message a second time, she wondered whether it was a good idea to go. Whether it was or not, she certainly had a lot of questions now that needed answering. Who was Madame N.? And where Fiora 'belonged', what could they mean by that? Was her mother's family just as powerful as the Laurents had been before their disgrace? Why would it be trouble if people knew about it, also? Weighing up that there were more benefits from attending than leaving it alone, Fiora decided she would go to meet this mysterious woman. Luckily for her, the timing of the letter's arrival couldn't have been any more precise, and the meeting was in less than an hour. She doubted it was simply coincidence and rinsed out the empty tea cup before taking her rapier from its place on the table top and exiting the room, not forgetting to lock the door behind her. As she walked through the elaborately decorated halls of the Institute she recognized a few familiar faces.

Each Champion and staff member was met with nods or small greetings in acknowledgement of the other's presence. There were some who met with less than friendly greetings however, and usually it was the job of the Institute to prevent their chancing upon one another as often as possible. The sisters Kayle and Morgana, as an example, could not see one another without firing a sort of insult no matter the distance between them at the time. There had been occasional screaming matches between rival pairs such as them or even illegal fights intended to bring death outside of the Fields of Justice. The most common to engage in these banned conflicts were those of the Void; Malzahar and Kassadin had a hate for each other that began because of Malz disliking Kassadin's use of the Void's power… or something like that.

Anyways, today some of the less expected made their appearance. The Prodigal Explorer Ezreal was wandering along the polished floor rather than being off in some distant part of Runeterra. It was out of character for him to stay within the boundaries of the known. The Cryophoenix Anivia, who normally was nowhere to be seen, was flying above on frosted wings. Fiora wondered if the magical avian was glad that there was quite a high ceiling within the Institute. More of a frequent visitor than the previous two was Grandmaster At Arms Jax, one of the most famous League Champions. Belonging solely to the League rather than having ties to any country, Jax had no significant past before he joined the League. It was rather unexpected when he did. His face was hidden behind the mask of blue lights that had left his true face a mystery for so long, and he was carrying his lamp post with such ease that Fiora would find unnerving were she not who she was. Jax indeed was a strong opponent; maybe he would have a chance of defeating her in a duel.

"I'll have to ask him sometime," she said to herself quietly, nearing the giant double doors that were the entrance of the Institute. The Institute itself was situated on the boundary line of Noxus, and lay within a cavern full of massive stalactites. A giant crevasse between the mouth of the cave and the outside world was crossed over by a long stone bridge, sometimes used by the League as a Field of Justice to trial potential Champions or Summoners and test their worthiness. Of course this was done only in the version existing in the Summoners' dimension of the Fields, so that the real bridge remained untouched and accessible at all times.

Ignoring the bridge, Fiora walked around the Institute and into the cavern, following the directions she had been given. Just as the letter had detailed, there was a narrow path hidden behind one of the rocky spines protruding from the floor that could hardly be found by anyone not looking for it. She followed it through a hole in the cavern wall and continued on into the darkness, having to feel her way along. _Please let this not be a trap, _she thought. _And god I wish I brought a light._ Her fate resting upon the path, Fiora hoped that she would not end up lost in the tunnel. If she did, she doubted she could find her way out again easily in the dark. Her hand brushed over something damp, and she immediately thought of moss; indeed that was what it felt like. Did that mean there was a source of water nearby? No sooner had she thought about it than a small dripping sound nearby confirmed so, and suddenly there was dimness to the tunnel announcing the presence of some kind of luminosity.

"So you've come, Fiora." A female voice said. Fiora rounded a corner and saw her, fully visible beneath a sorts of magical orb floating near the ceiling. The woman was beautiful; long black hair falling down below her waist, half of it braided and decorated with bright beads and tassels; eyes as blue as the sky that watched her unblinkingly; a tall curvy build accentuated by tight fitting duelist-esque clothing. She looked relatively untouched by the years although her voice sounded matured, and she must have at least been twice Fiora's age.

"Madame N.?" Fiora asked, though she was sure it was her.

The woman nodded. "It is Madame Nightraven, to be precise. I am the current head of the family."

This astounded Fiora. The Nightravens were basically the Noxian equivalent of the Laurents, but they had disappeared from society. The last sighting of the Nightraven Duelists had been just after Fiora was born. She had heard a great deal about them; the so-called elite of the elite, the most powerful Duelists in all of Runeterra before they were gone. Each year when the best Duelists in all of Runeterra met for their annual tournament, the Nightravens would emerge the victors. Not once had their family lost until Fiora's father somehow defeated one of their strongest. Nowadays Fiora and many other Duelists believed he had won that fight only with trickery, not true skill. He was definitely professional in the arts of faking it, using poisons and illegal tactics in or before his duels to gain unfair advantage. So this woman in front of her was indeed someone of interest, and Fiora was very much anticipating her word.

"You seem to recognize the name?" Madame Nightraven continued, and was answered with a nod. "I am glad that that much is covered. Anyhow, long ago your father made a bet with my own father. He said to him that if he were to best him in a duel, specifically one at the Tournament, he should be allowed a child born of a fair Nightraven lady. If he lost, however, he would give up all the wealth of the Laurents. Naturally, my father had never expected to lose to yours, and he was too… man, to not take the bet."

"So then you are saying my mother is a Nightraven?" Fiora wondered, trying not to overthink things while digesting the information given to her. She had a hunch that she knew what the lady was going to say next.

Madame Nightraven sighed, breathing deeply before she spoke. "Your mother is not only a Nightraven, but the woman before you."

The reply was so expected by Fiora, but then so hard to believe at the same time. She had spent all her life in question of whom and where her mother was, receiving no satisfactory response from anyone in the Laurent house. To know finally seemed to change everything, whether for better or for worse she did not know. An intense emotion began to fill her, and she opened her mouth to speak. "So this means…" Fiora felt like she might actually cry despite her usual strong willpower.

"You are a Nightraven. Whilst my father did indeed give you to your 'father', he refused to allow him to bed with his daughter. Your real father and I had planned to have a child before their bet was made. We hardly wanted to let you go without a fight, and in that fight your father lost his life." She paused, unable to contain her sadness. After a moment of sniffling and wiping her tears away with a handkerchief that Fiora provided, she then continued on. "It was unfair, we were highly outnumbered, and the Laurents had gotten Demacian soldiers involved. They deceived them into believing that the Nightravens were no longer playing fair. We ran not long after in fear of being punished by Noxus. We've lived in the Noxian Underground since then, allied to the Black Rose mages." Madame Nightraven could no longer hold back, and she reached toward Fiora with both arms. "I've wanted to see you for so long!"

Fiora's heart hurt. It all made sense and it all felt so stupid. For her entire life she had been lied to while her true family had to hide in a hole, wishing she were amongst them. And oh boy, they must miss the surface world so much. If she had known sooner, she would have done anything for them, maybe even found a way for them to be free of the dark Underground beneath Noxus and bask in the sunlight once more.

But then, this meant that Fiora did not even belong to Demacia. All the people she had grown up beside, all the honor of the country she had fought for; it was not even her place to be a part of it. The knowledge that she actually was a Noxian, one of the ones she had been brought up to hate, tore her in half. What was she meant to do now? Who was she meant to fight for? Why did it have to be like this?

Fiora allowed her mother to embrace her, and her destined path came to mind as clear as day. She now fought for the Nightravens and nobody else. She would even go against the League of Legends if they threatened the wellbeing of her true lineage. There was no way she would question what Madame Nightraven had told her, for she believed it with every part of her soul.


	4. Escorts, Mirrors and Serpents

**I realize I took a while to get this one out. It's to do with inspiration matters plus the fact I'm enrolled in tertiary education now (so more chapters will take more time to come out than usual!). Sorry for the inconvenience if you're really impatient ^-^"**

**For some reason single line breaks are STILL not working regardless of me using the 'Shift + Enter'.**

* * *

"Captured you say? I'm here by choice. Mind telling me about your own being here, though?" Talon looked over Fiora, liking what he saw. As was usual with the duelist women, the material was tight on her form but flexible for movement. Its base colour was black, lined with silver separating it from secondary colours of red and purple. Decorative feathers protruded from her hair, hips and shoulders, and she revealed some alluring cleavage. She had a cape similar to her original one yet designed to match the new outfit.

Fiora was definitely not oblivious to his ogling but pretended not to notice. She didn't really mind getting attention in that way; she'd grown used to it over years of fighting beside or against men.

"It's complicated." Fiora responded, and then turned her attention to the mages who had captured him in the tunnels. "We can take him from here; go back to your duties."

The mages seemed unconvinced. "Are you sure?" One of them asked her. "He could try to run when we let him go."

"I'm sure. He wants to be here, anyways; he'll follow us like a lost little puppy. Isn't that right Talon?" She sounded as if she were attempting to tease him by the way she said it. He glared at her, not amused, and she smiled back at him.

"Alright then," The Black Rose mage said, and the golden bindings around Talon once again made their appearance. They began to unravel from around him and disintegrate into the air, creating an effect of magical dust particles that slowly dissipated after a moment with a sound similar to Ashe's scouting arrow shattering. It was quite impressive for such a small-scale spell, not that Talon really cared. And then he remembered that he'd been floating.

"Oh sh-" Talon had no time to finish the curse before he smacked into the rocky terrain beneath. He groaned and pushed himself up off the ground, muttering to himself about what he would do to get revenge. The three magi proceeded to walk away, laughing amongst each other. Fiora placed her hand upon his shoulder before he made any attempt to hurt somebody. The look he then gave her was far from friendly.

"Come now," she said, trying to sound understanding. "Going after worthless peasants is pointless, yes? You have an appointment with LeBlanc herself. Allow us to escort you there."

Traveling with the duelists felt more comforting than with the previous captives. They merely walked beside him, with Fiora in front leading the way. He didn't doubt that they would be quick to react if he tried anything, but at this point in time they seemed peaceful, relaxed even. They didn't even shift in expressions when Fiora told him of how she had ended up in the Noxian Underground.

"…So pretty much, I was kidnapped and lied to my whole life, and I'm actually Noxian. Who would have thought?" She finished as they reached the steps of the massive palace that Talon had seen from the staircase earlier.

"What makes you believe that it's the truth?" Talon wondered aloud.

"Ever since I was young I've felt… Something was out of place; not right. When Madame Nightraven told me her story she said it with such emotion that it could hardly be a lie. It seems plausible enough; it seems to fit." The frustration beneath her words was unfortunately obvious although she struggled to hide it.

Seeing this he asked, "It is hard though, isn't it?"

Fiora avoided his gaze, trying harder not to let her emotions leak. He knew that having to change your view of the world completely to suit a reality you could never have dreamed of must be an immensely difficult task. Fate had not been gentle on the Grand Duelist, but the Blade's Shadow only felt an urge to ease her suffering after hearing of her ordeal. Uncharacteristic of him as it was, he would try to do what he could for her. She was now, after all, one of them.

"Fiora Nightraven of Noxus," Talon said on a more cheerful note. "I might just like you better this way."

She stared in confusion, but before she could further react to him the doors of the palace flung open and LeBlanc exclaimed loudly, "Ah, Talon! I knew you would come; welcome to my kingdom. It's quite lovely isn't it?"

LeBlanc was met with complete and slightly awkward silence.

Not really expecting an answer in the first place, she turned and began to move down the entrance hall, beckoning for them to come along with a wave of her hand. "Let us continue our conversation in the comfort of my Hall of Mirrors."

They followed her silently, and Talon caught glimpses of the palace interior. They were traversing a main hall, with floors so clear and polished that anyone who looked saw their reflections swimming in it. The walls were embedded with onyx, rose quartz and seams of gold in elaborate designs mostly forming roses themselves, each with winding thorny stems and spiked leaves. The centre was lined by a slim carpet, accompanied either side by massive columns which he believed were more for appearance than supporting the solid arching ceiling. There was the occasional painting dominating panels of wall that depicted significant people he knew nothing of; possibly LeBlanc's family or ancestors.

To the far sides of the hall were the occasional passageways, winding away to the point that anything beyond them was concealed from his view. If LeBlanc were attempting to hide anything here nobody would ever know without investigating closer. Talon itched to investigate those passages and definitely would have if he weren't surrounded by Nightraven duelists.

LeBlanc ignored Talon's curiousity over her palace interior and opened a golden door at the end of the entrance hall, not once touching it with her hands. The Hall of Mirrors did indeed live up to its namesake. Mirrors of all shapes and sizes were assorted upon the walls, and Talon could barely tell what was real and what was not anymore; the reflected reflections multiplied the room infinite times over and he had no idea of how big the space was. As the golden door swung closed again, he noticed that it was also covered by a mirror on this side, making it appear as if there were no doors in the first place. It was simply unnerving.

"I assume you're not going to want to hear a long history of the Black Rose hideout; even if you do I won't be telling you." LeBlanc settled herself into the throne in the middle of the room, lacing her fingers together. "What I really want to tell you is that I'm not exactly happy with what my Former ally Swain is doing. You see, Swain was once one of us, and when he left he promised he would secure the Black Rose a place in the Overworld. And yet even though Swain is now High General, he has not even mentioned us, nor contacted us, and when we attempted to contact him our messenger was quite rudely executed."

"I have no interest in-" Talon began, but he was interrupted.

"I'm not finished yet," the Deceiver said sternly. He quieted, not wanting to create drama, and she continued once more. "Ever since this event we have kept a very close watch on the affairs of Noxus. We have many spies in the city, and we by chance overheard something related to your precious Du Coteaus: they know about Katarina's relationship. And you know what, Talon?" She leaned forward and spoke it out as clearly as she could, as if trying to embed it in his memory. "They don't like it."

Fiora shifted behind him, letting out a small cough. LeBlanc's gaze turned to her.

"Is there something you'd like to say, dear?" she wondered.

Fiora responded to her like she'd been waiting for the question all along. "Maybe you should enlighten him on how they plan to show their dislike?"

"Ah, yes." LeBlanc said with a slight giggle. "And then I'll give you one day to yourself Talon. After that you return here or else."

He glared at her unhappily, hating the idea of being bound to the Black Rose, for he knew that was what she was trying to do to him. "Or else what?" he growled at her.

She smiled almost sinisterly. "Or else you never find out where your General is, of course!"

In all the happenings since he had entered the hidden city Talon had almost forgot that one thing. The General was alive. The General was possibly even HERE. That was the reason he had wanted to know more, and yet so many other interesting things had presented themselves for distraction; Fiora, his plans of revenge for the three mages, the scenery, LeBlanc's story. He shook his head, irritated at himself for letting his mind stray especially considering where he was.

"Fine," Talon said finally, giving in. "Just get to the point already."

"They want to…" she paused to chuckle in the middle of her sentence; the Blade's Shadow thought it to be highly unnecessary. "Burn down the Du Coteau household!"

He didn't even have to think it over long to know what to do next. He had to go evacuate them; get them out of there before the Noxian authorities decided upon any further punishments. Which they would, he knew that much. Of course it could also escalate to nastiness right there if they sent certain people into the scene. The last thing he wanted were his family; for that was what the Du Coteaus were to him; to end up losing their heads beneath the axes of Darius and Draven. Even the fan girl was undeserving of such a death. But he had one more question.

"What day is the burning scheduled for?" He asked hurriedly, preparing himself to move.

LeBlanc was quite obviously amused by his behavior, yet was nice enough to give the information to him. "The day after tomorrow; I trust you'll bring everyone to me?"

Talon frowned at her and then answered sarcastically. "Oh no, we have plenty other places to go you see?" And with that, he was gone.

* * *

Katarina opened the door herself, not bothering to call for a maid. A smile lit her face as a remnant of today's earlier memories; she had spent quite a few days with Garen now and wasn't going to give it up any time soon. At this moment however she felt her family deserved her attention, for they had gone quite a while getting a lack of it since she and Garen had begun. But as Katarina stepped through the doorway it was immediately clear that something was off; both her sisters and Talon stood together as if they had been waiting for her, and the expressions they had only made it easier to expect the worst.

"Sister…" the second youngest said, but she could not find the words to complete her sentence. Cassiopeia, whose anger shook on every inch of her body, took the initiative.

"All of this is YOUR fault!" she screamed, and Katarina jumped in surprise at her violent tone. "I told you that this would only hurt US, you didn't LISTEN TO ME!"

"Cass." Talon said and shook his head, but he didn't even try to take any other action.

Cassiopeia continued, shrieking. "WE'RE GOING TO LOSE OUR OWN HOUSE BECAUSE OF YOUR SELFISHNESS! DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL GUILTY NOW?!" The gorgon hissed viciously and sputtered curses under her breath that Katarina pretended not to hear.

The Sinister Blade actually had to gather courage before returning an answer to Cassiopeia, something she would never need against any other. "I'm not guilty. I have no regrets. It's not me who is truly at fault for this, it's Noxus itself."

Talon nodded slightly, not really understanding why he sided with her but knowing diplomacy was stupid. He knew that soon someone would have to restrain the Serpent's Embrace before she erupted like an active volcano. However, he had never expected the fan girl to speak up for them.

"Sisters, I don't think we have time for this right now." She said, giving them a concerned look. Cassiopeia froze for a moment, and then seemed to soften.

"You're right." She admitted finally. "Let us be out of here now."

Katarina agreed with them but quickly realized something. As they began to leave the household she moved in front of them, halting their progress. Before any of them could ask what she was doing, she put forward her own question. "Where are we actually going?"

Cassiopeia raised her eyebrow. "You don't know? We're off to the Black Rose of course. I thought you would have guessed that since you were the one she contacted first…"

Katarina was surprised that they would even consider such an action given the reputation of LeBlanc. She herself had been a little wary of the Deceiver's message from just over a week ago. Although this all made perfect sense to the Sinister Blade; LeBlanc had been the one to warn them that this was going to happen, right? So without another word she allowed them to lead her to her new home, whether she liked it or not. But one small thing was bugging her as she did so: If Katarina were to reside within the territory of the Black Rose, how in the world would she meet up with Garen again? One thing was for certain; if she mentioned it to the others now Cassiopeia would flip… definitely not a good idea.


	5. Deforestation

**Originally this was planned to occur in Chapter Six. However, I found Chapter Five to be incredibly boring in comparison and this was fun to write, so I did it first. It also doesn't really change much to put it here.**

* * *

"This is sooo degrading," Draven complained as they walked along the street. "I'm totally capable of handling Katarina's type myself and Swain sends you too?"

Darius groaned with annoyance at his brother's usual attitude and tried to think of an answer that the Glorious Executioner would be satisfied with.

"Maybe the reason is not because you can't do it alone, but because he would be devastated if something were to happen to you." Darius said unenthusiastically.

"Oh, yes," Draven replied, lifting his mood significantly. "I am of such importance to the High General that he sends an _extra fine_ bodyguard in case I get into a bad situation; that's cute."

Darius shook his head, knowing he'd not hear the end of it as his brother continued on with a speech about his standing amongst Runeterran society and how many women couldn't resist him.

Luckily for the Hand of Noxus, the Du Coteau's household wasn't too far, and he now had an excuse to make Draven shut up. However, Darius didn't have to ask for it before Draven halted himself.

The area seemed pretty quiet and still although there should normally be a bit of liveliness about. A silence that felt out of place, creating a kind of awkwardness that the pair didn't like. Paranoia crept up like a wild animal pouncing upon the prey it had been carefully stalking for minutes beforehand, and Darius observed his surroundings expectantly. Had someone known they were coming?

Shrugging, Draven moved over to the front door and knocked, folding his arms in wait. The response to his door-knocking didn't come from inside the house, unfortunately. Rather, something decided to tangle itself around his legs. Surprised by the sudden-ness of the situation he struggled against it, ending in an embarrassing trip to the ground. Darius stared at the binding, recognizing it immediately, and severed it from Draven's limbs carefully with his axe.

"Now this is interesting," a voice said with a sly tone, and the owner made herself visible by coming out from around the corner of the building. Draven watched her with both humiliated anger, and admiration; he'd never seen her so close before and she was definitely more attractive than the girls he usually hung about despite what she was. He picked himself up from the ground and brushed the dirt from his clothes.

"What business do you have here, Zyra?" Darius asked her. "Noxus is no place for the likes of you."

Before she could answer, his brother spoke up. "Zyra quite obviously came here for me. Every woman wants a piece of Draven." He raised the dead thorn entanglement and continued with, "See, bondage. What did I tell you?"

The Rise of the Thorns laughed. "Humans are such amusing creatures. Ah, I apologize, but you must be delusional if you think I'd be attracted to you in any way." She paused to watch the effect her words had on him. Unfortunately, they didn't reap the one she expected.

"Delusional?" Draven asked. "Hardly so, that's more likely to be you than me. I see this as either you're so confused at the human feeling of desire that's currently filling your body, or you're playing hard to get. Either way babe, you're mine for the taking. That is, if I want you."

Zyra raised an eyebrow at him, but refused to continue on the subject. Instead she proceeded to answer Darius. "Since you want to know why I'm here, the answer is simple. Every Rose has its Thorns."

The brothers couldn't see how the response was simple. There was a moment of silence as they thought to themselves about the statement, and then Darius muttered something to himself. Draven shot him a glance, wondering what he'd figured out. The Rise of the Thorns sighed impatiently.

"The Black Rose." Darius stated finally. "You've joined the Black Rose."

"Correct," Zyra said, glad that she no longer had to wait. "And you know what the Black Rose has against you?"

Darius recalled executing someone from the Black Rose at the orders of the High Command. It wasn't really his decision or fault, but he could see where this was coming from. What was strange was the setting, and the fact they'd only sent one against two. His brother seemed to share the same thought.

"What the Black Rose has against us," Darius responded, "Is one lonely plant to two executioners."

"Not that I couldn't take her myself." Draven added on quickly.

Zyra's lips curved into a smile. "That's where you're wrong, you see. You're quite outnumbered." The ground began to shake, and the stone floor around her crumbled.

Long thorny vines rose up, blooming into an assortment of beautiful yet deadly plants that hissed like serpents. A massive jungle rose blossomed in the centre and Zyra placed herself upon it as if it were her throne.

"If we had of known this would turn to deforestation," Darius began, preparing for conflict.

"We would have brought mere huntsman's axes!" Draven completed, and he made the first move. Spinning both his axes skillfully for momentum and then throwing them, he rendered two of the plants in half. The axes flew back to him and he caught them flawlessly, preparing to throw again.

The plants before them seethed in anger at the loss of their companions, but Zyra wasn't in the least worried. As rains of thorns were spat at the executioners she merely grew two more to replace those lost. The pair hacked at them over and over, irritated by the roots grabbing at their feet and attempting to snare them or disrupt their balance.

It became clear that they were getting nowhere as it was.

"Draven," Darius called to him, and the Glorious Executioner nodded. He knew that he just needed to change targets. While Darius continued to fight the thorns, Draven aimed toward Zyra and threw.

She let out a laugh and the rose petals closed around her, shielding her from damage.

Darius attempted to pull her out again with his axe, but to no avail. Nearby plants whipped their vines around its handle and tried to yank it from his grasp. They almost succeeded, but instead Darius used his full strength and bodyweight to bring it back to him, ripping through the vegetation like it was paper. He ran headfirst into the thickest bunch without hesitation. For a moment he was lost amongst the thorns, but then his axe protruded from them and he spun it in a circle. All surrounding plants fell, blossoms drooping in death.

Draven continued to attack the rose, shredding through each layer of petals. Once he reached the inner layers Zyra decided to strike at him, sending flower-bud riddled vines up beneath his feet that tried to gouge through him with razor-sharp ends.

"Having fun?" Zyra called out to them, replacing every minion Darius had destroyed with a fresh batch of seeds and transforming them.

Draven cursed, but he knew that outside of the Fields she was a whole different opponent. There was truly no limitation to what she could do; but that also meant the same for him.

"Don't get cocky," Darius replied, and Draven took initiative.

Combining his axes together he threw again. This time his axes rolled over the ground, plowing through several of Zyra's plants and then the central rose. She moved to the side just in time to avoid being sliced in half and got into an evasive position. Draven smiled, also moving to the side, and as the axes returned to him she had to dodge again as they would have hit her.

"Once upon a time, a flower thought she could defeat Draven," he called out to her, "But she had no idea he could do _this_."

As he caught the rolling axes, he somehow dismantled them till four became sixteen. Dropping the extras, he rolled the originals out again, then swiftly connected and released the others each at slightly different angles. Three times more than his usual Whirling Death rushed over her ensemble of thorns and flowers, completely destroying the set up. Zyra managed to dodge them barely, yet was knocked into the air as one of the vines she was standing upon was lopped from its roots. The Glorious Executioner rushed forward and caught her in his arms.

"And now babe, you're mine." He finished, his rolling axes falling over nearby.

The Rise of the Thorns wasn't angry or upset at being defeated, yet appeared rather appreciative of Draven. She touched his face gently with her fingers.

"Very nice," Zyra cooed, ignoring as the Hand of Noxus glared at them. "If you'll keep me only to yourself, I might stay a while."

As the Glorious Executioner chuckled, Darius walked away. It was clear that the Du Coteaus were gone and he wanted nothing to do with whatever Draven was planning.


	6. Candy For LeBlanc

**I'm excited to announce that due to a massive motivation to write today, I'm releasing this Chapter earlier than I expected to do so! I'm so glad that I'm very inspired with this fic; it's exciting for me.**

* * *

The Deceiver sighed, she was tired already despite the fact it was still only the afternoon. She hadn't had much sleep lately and spent a lot of time using her head, all purely preparation for what was to come. But what she wanted most right now was uninterrupted beauty sleep. Unfortunately, the leader of the Black Rose could not just leave her throne before evening. This was made even clearer as a Guardian approached her.

"There appears to be a fault in our enchantments," he said, bowing in respect to her. "Two powerful magi have entered the Cavern via teleportation of some sort."

"Is that so?" LeBlanc asked, curiosity waking her. She rose from her throne and followed the Guardian down the entrance hall, clicking her fingers in indication to someone or something nobody could see. "Come out now, my dears."

A group of elite Black Rose mages that had been waiting for her wound their way into the hall, entering through the passages that Talon had been so suspicious of earlier. The majority of them were female, not because of any sexist ideal but that these ladies in particular had just happened to be able to tune their magical potentials without losing their lives.

Numerous male magi in the distant past fought to keep the Black Rose Aristocracy with their efforts being in vain; they were slain as the Noxian Militarization era began. Ladies too had lost their lives, but as a whole, females now outweighed males in the guild.

As reluctant as the remaining Elite had been to fight alongside their fallen comrades then, LeBlanc would hardly call them cowards. She knew herself that resisting the Militarization at that time was futile and had even warned the guild that it was so. Rather than being afraid, they were being conservationists.

The outfits of the Elite were more gender-defined than the genderless outfits of their inferiors. Each was allowed his or her own customizations to the dress code, and none looked the same. Lower echelons had complained about this freedom that the Elite had, but LeBlanc had quieted them with a remark on how their lesser levels of skill and lack of hard work to improve them left them undeserving of such a privilege.

Near the lake two floating figures appeared, both patiently awaiting LeBlanc. She recognized both of them upon sight, and knew the reason behind one's arrival, yet was very interested to know why the second was there. The first of the two spoke up.

"I was expecting a more challenging spell. Have you grown soft LeBlanc? It would be foolish of you to let others of my ilk into your realm; I'm surprised this one's here." His voice was slightly distorted and rough, a side-effect of living within the Void for so long; Malzahar, the Prophet, gestured to the woman accompanying him.

LeBlanc turned her attention to the younger woman. "I'm honored that you grace us with your presence before even completing your transition into the League, Syndra. What business have you got here?"

The Dark Sovereign eyed her off for a moment, as if deciding whether coming here was a good idea or not. LeBlanc wondered if the Ionian sorceress were considering engaging in combat with her even though there was an entire division of Elite mages at her back. Was Syndra really so confident in her real-world abilities? Surely the ability to control gravity was overpowered; the Dark Sovereign could bring down the entire Cavern if she wanted to, although LeBlanc was highly convinced the Black Rose had the advantage.

"I've heard," Syndra began, manipulating her Dark Orbs in random patterns as she spoke, "that when one aids the Black Rose they can be owed certain favors in return."

The Deceiver raised an eyebrow. "That is correct, yes." LeBlanc responded with a nod. "Quite a number have been drawn in by that one simple truth."

She thought back to when the Rise of the Thorns had entered her domain asking if she may join them for her own personal gains just as Syndra did now. Zyra had not as of yet given an explanation of what she wanted from LeBlanc, but that did not matter ; not many did at first. LeBlanc wondered how her encounter with the Noxians fared in the Overworld; if had she been sent into something she couldn't handle on her own. If so it wasn't really the Deceiver's fault, for Zyra had insisted on going alone.

Still, Syndra seemed a bit suspicious of the Deceiver. "I do however have a slight issue when it comes to trusting the likes of you."

LeBlanc laughed; this was a common statement when negotiating with outsiders. She answered it with a famous quote of hers: "Why would I lie?"

It didn't seem to give any positive effect to the situation.

Malzahar's patience seemed to be ebbing, and he cut in on the conversation. "My aid will indefinitely be of immense importance to you, LeBlanc. Let's discuss my position while she decides hers, yes?"

LeBlanc smiled. She agreed that Malzahar was much more of weighty ally than Syndra was, given his high standing in the Void, and her disregard of the fact that any tie to him could possibly affect those she could make with several other factions. Nobody had to know anyway, did they?

"Ah yes, Malzahar. The Void is willing to come to an arrangement with the Black Rose now, is it?" She watched the Prophet closely. This was very delicate and serious, for the Void did not easily allow such exceptions as this. In fact, you could say this was probably the first and only time they would.

"The Will of the Void is offering an exclusive alliance." the Prophet of the Void stated. "It shall help you, as discreetly and in as many ways as possible, as long as when the time comes you return the favor to us by aiding our invasion of Runeterra. Of course by allying with the Will, you will achieve your desires as a result. There is of course one condition to that we dare not disclose in the open."

A handful of Elites began whispering feverishly amongst one another. LeBlanc herself was elated by Malzahar's statement and didn't attempt to conceal it; she gasped and clasped her hands together in excitement. She probably would've jumped and screamed in joy if it wasn't a public embarrassment to do so. The Dark Sovereign looked at her like she was mad; LeBlanc was reacting like a child that just got offered their favourite candy, of which they hadn't eaten in years.

Once the initial hype settled a little, much to the gratitude of Malzahar, the Deceiver said, "No condition is too much for me to accept this, Malzahar. Though just so I know what I'm in for, let's discuss this somewhere private. Before that, I must ask. Syndra, have you made your choice?"

All eyes turned to the silver-haired Ionian once again, and she finally answered. "Yes. The answer is yes. Surely you must hold some form of loyalty to your agreements if you attract the attention of such powers."

The Deceiver moved back into her mages' company, beckoning to the Prophet of the Void to follow her as she started to make her way back to the palace. "You've made a good choice," LeBlanc called over her shoulder, and Syndra inclined her head to her new leader before drawing her orbs into her and dissipating fashionably with an ethereal explosion.


	7. Painful Reality

**Got this one out a little later than usual due to capped internet (I couldn't load the site T-T). Playing Guild Wars 2 like mad at the moment so 8 may or may not be a bit delayed as well till my initial hype slows down a bit.**

* * *

The Du Coteaus followed Talon along the rooftops closely, Talon himself carrying an irritable gorgon slung over his shoulder seeing as she couldn't jump. Her sisters found it highly entertaining but didn't dare let out their laughter in fear of being heard not only by her, but anyone nearby.

Noxus itself seemed to be on a high alert. There were regiments of guards roaming the streets for the first time in ages, sometimes halting and interrogating random groups of citizens. Katarina guessed that someone had found out they were missing and reported to one of the High Command, and she couldn't help but feel a bit excited about it.

However Talon didn't seem to be in the least bit happy about the current circumstance and she knew his mood couldn't possibly be just because of Cassiopeia. Katarina longed to ask what was bothering him, because knowing his intuitive nature when it came to the behavior of Noxians, whatever it was, was bound to happen. And she didn't exactly want to wait to find out.

They came to a pause atop one of the commoner's homes, waiting for Noxian soldiers to filter through the narrow street below so they could leap across to the next roof without the chance of someone looking up and noticing them.

A hooded figure approached the soldiers, stopping them. Katarina mentally groaned knowing this would cause them to waste valuable time; the longer they remained here, the more dangerous the situation could become. She glanced over her sisters, seeing the worry in their eyes, and let out a deep breath to replace the sigh inside her.

The stranger spoke to the soldiers for only a short time before they let them go. But even when they left, the stranger stayed where he was. The Sinister Blade figured out pretty fast that he was checking his surroundings and from his behavior that he was possibly communicating with a telepathic mage. Her company obviously noticed something was off as well; they were extremely tense, frozen in position.

Fortunately for them the stranger left before checking their roof closely and they were free to clear the gap in strong leaps. Katarina held onto her sister's hand in case she fell; the middle sister had no real experience with this kind of thing as she'd never lived her life outside of being a bachelorette.

Talon ran now, not wanting to extend their stay any longer. Being an assassin he hardly made a sound as he ran even whilst carrying a rather tangible burden on his shoulder. Katarina too was an assassin and shared this, but they couldn't say the same for her sister beside her.

"She'll give us away." Katarina stated in a hissed whisper after they leapt across another gap.

The Blade's Shadow did not seem concerned and returned her statement with, "Too late for that, we've already been spotted. Catch." Without further warning he threw Cassiopeia toward Katarina, who only just managed to react quick enough that the gorgon didn't fall onto the roof tiles below. It didn't seem to make anyone happy.

"Talon!" Cassio complained, but she didn't say anything other than that.

Not that she could, as he continued with another sentence. "You'll find the entrance to the Underground just over that wall." He indicated a stone barricade looming ahead of them. "Shouldn't be too difficult to get there and it's amongst the trees, under the rocky hill. I need to go kill someone."

The Du Coteau sisters followed his directions, but still watched as he dashed away, faster than expected. It had been a while since Katarina had actually seen him heading off to assassinate, so she guessed he had probably grown more talented since. In a way it slightly frightened her for she didn't think she had improved a significant amount lately.

And only just did her eye catch who Talon was chasing; there was a dark figure hopping away, small because of the distance between here and there. Knowing how formidable an opponent she and Talon were let alone Cassiopeia, the hostile assassin was most likely planning to report the sighting of the three plus one extra to his superiors. Talon's reasoning for killing them would be that their current location might give away their retreat path, and having the Noxian Assassin's Guild or more roaming the Underground wouldn't be good.

"Katarina," the middle sister said, "I don't know if I can climb that wall."

"It's not even that big..." Katarina said, sighing. As they reached it she jumped down onto a pile of wood that leaned against it, possibly used for firewood in the house she'd just left the roof of. "Pull yourself up." She told Cassiopeia, lifting the serpent above herself.

Cassio easily did as she was told and waited on the wall for them. Katarina caught her other sister as she dropped from the roof then threw her towards Cassiopeia, who then pulled her up beside her. The latter was repeated as Katarina jumped high and took her sister's hands, and then proceeded to land on the other side of the wall. The Sinister Blade then caught each of them to prevent them from injuring themselves upon their own landings.

"That was quite something to watch." A voice said from the trees.

Katarina was shocked. Not only because that voice was familiar and she could never imagine how they came to be here, but because she hadn't noticed their presence at all. Was she really that out of tune with her assassin senses? How could she lose so much skill in so little time?

Fiora and two followers appeared, dressed in a uniform of sorts. Katarina stepped forward and opened her mouth to ask why the Grand Duelist was here, but then remembered she didn't have enough time to care.

"If you're looking for a fight it better be quick." Katarina told her. "Not like it wouldn't be anyways."

"That's really not why I'm here, though... You honestly think it'd be that easy to defeat me?" Fiora wondered, a hint of disbelief in her voice. To further accentuate that disbelief, she shook her head at the Sinister Blade, making a tsk sound. "Knowing my reputation, that's very foolish of you."

Cassiopeia intercepted. "Who cares about reputation? Let's do this, right here right now. I'll take you on."

One of Fiora's companions responded swiftly to the serpent. "Poison is against the laws of the duelists. If you wish to face Miss Fiora, you will do it without your talent or fight not one but three."

Katarina placed her hand on Cassio's arm as the gorgon hissed at him and said, "Then your opponent shall be me."

"Very well." The Grand Duelist drew her sword and raised it, switching her stance into a battle position. She held it, waiting. Katarina knew she would have to take the first move. That first move could be the difference between loss and victory; it was crucial. She couldn't afford to mess it up.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, the assassin drew two of her blades. Running forward to clear distance, she threw one towards Fiora, who, as she had predicted, parried it. Taking advantage of her knowledge that Fiora would defend herself, Katarina danced around the duelist as swiftly as possible and kicked her… in the butt.

"Ah!" Fiora exclaimed in surprise, tripping forwards but regaining her balance before falling. Katarina knew her small victory over Fiora would be quite short-lived and prepared just in time to counter the Grand Duelist's fast strikes with her blades, of which she had drawn another.

The two then engaged in a dance of strikes, parries and blocks, neither able to touch the other, both trying to find a weakness. However Katarina began to realize a massive difference between her and her opponent. Fiora's speed and reflexes were a lot faster than Katarina's, and despite Katarina's advantage of an extra weapon she found herself being pushed back. Keeping this up for much longer could lead to a fatal opening from the Sinister Blade.

And Fiora looked like she wasn't even trying. Katarina cursed and withdrew from the duelist's range. Whipping out kunai from their places on her leg straps and holding them between her fingers, she said, "I wonder how quick you really are?"

Glad that everyone was at a safe distance from the fight, she initiated her Death Lotus. As the first wave of blades flew towards Fiora they were met with a smile, and then the duelist disappeared from sight. Katarina knew not where she had went, but she could hear the clangs of steel against steel and the occasional laughter of her enemy. It took her a moment to figure out why.

Fiora was moving at a speed faster than Katarina's out-of-practice eyes could follow, parrying every kunai that posed a threat while drawing closer and closer to the assassin. Katarina knew the Blade Waltz was fast, but had the Grand Duelist grown so far in skill that none could see her at all when she performed it?

No. Focusing as hard as she could the Sinister Blade was able to slow the motion with her mind. She saw only flashes of her opponent, appearing then fading away at different angles around Katarina as she spun. It didn't give her enough time to react in the slightest.

"KATARINA!" Cassiopeia yelled, but it was too late. In the blink of an eye the Sinister Blade had been pushed back against a tree with Fiora's blade driven through her right shoulder, pinning her there. She screamed in agony, not used to the pain after so long without real combat.

The Grand Duelist breathed heavily, recovering from the exertion of energy. A few cuts lined her body where she hadn't minded letting Katarina's kunai touch her; she had been too busy getting out the life-threatening projectiles from her path to care for others. This left a great deal of tears and rips in her Nightraven uniform that were revealing at best.

She smiled to herself before opening her mouth to speak. "The League of Legends has made us soft. No mortality, lessened pain, lower expectations." Fiora paused as Cassiopeia tried to rush toward her and was restrained by the two duelists.

"In this world, our limits are infinitely higher, our opponents are infinitely stronger. That is why I train not for the League, but for Reality." She emphasized the last word so well that it embedded itself into Katarina's mind despite the assassin being pre-occupied.

Searing pain erupted along the wound as her body tried to reject the cold metal that had been lunged through it. A long trail of red wound its way down her arm as blood trickled from within, slowly dripping onto the dirt in small spatters. And yet, gritting her teeth, she closed her left hand around the sword's blade and tried to remove it. This attempt caused her to scream again as her hand was lacerated by the sharp steel in deep cuts, only made more severe by her pulling against it.

"Why don't you just end me," Katarina asked quietly, dropping her hand to the ground where it bled profusely. "I'm pathetic."

Fiora took the sword from Katarina's shoulder, quickly and mercifully. She knew the torture of having a blade slide back from your flesh slowly and didn't want to inflict more suffering upon her future ally. With a sigh she responded, "It would be unfair to the Black Rose if I killed one of their most valuable assassins, would it not? Your skills are rusty; that can be changed with hard work. I refuse to end the life of someone on my side."

Cassiopeia spat on the dirt and hissed, "Filthy Demacian! The Black Rose made a mistake in allowing you into its ranks!"

The duelists restraining her tugged her backwards as she struggled against their grips, one placing his sword to her throat. "Miss Nightraven is not Demacian, nor did they have to allow her; she is of Noxian blood!" He told her angrily.

The Serpent's Embrace stopped to devour the information for a second, but then somehow escaped her captors. She then knocked both of them over with her tail and rushed to her sister, fussing over her and checking that she was alright. The duelists climbed back onto their feet, but didn't try to stop her.

For a while all was quiet but the murmurs of the two Du Coteaus, though fate would not let them be. A disruption in the form of the Blade's Shadow arrived on the scene.

"What have you done?!" He called out, striking at Fiora half-heartedly. He knew she would parry it, though he had never intended to harm her. It was more of a warning blow.

She averted her gaze from him and felt confusion at the feelings entering her; slightly blushing at his seeing the condition of her outfit, and a small ball of guilt in the back of her throat over Katarina. It didn't allow her to speak; she wanted to explain everything to Talon yet the words wouldn't come.

Luckily for her, one of her companions was able to devise a worthy explanation in her place. "Miss Nightraven did not start the fight and continued it merely to teach a lesson, Sir." He said, and Fiora nodded in agreement.

"You should be glad this area's relatively unprotected by the military or you could all be dead." Talon said, glaring towards the duelists. "But to get to the point, Katarina's only half of why I'm worried. Haven't you noticed we're missing someone?"

The group fell silent and surveyed their surroundings. In an instant, Katarina and Cassiopeia were shocked. Their sister had disappeared completely; she was nowhere to be seen! They'd been so occupied by the fight that they hadn't even known she left. Who could have taken her, and how without their notice? Or had she left herself, out of fright at seeing Katarina in such a situation? What if it were a mixture of both?

"There's nothing we can do right now." Fiora stated emotionlessly. Her happiness at winning yet another duel had gone like the passing breeze that now played at her hair. Just when things had seemed like they'd be okay, something new had to pop up and ruin it.

Tugging at the material on Talon's arm, she said, "We must go back to the Black Rose. Don't worry, we'll save her later." As she walked away, he followed, picking up Katarina from beneath the tree along the way. As Cassiopeia went to speak he glanced at her, and she came along without a word.

"LeBlanc will fix this," one of the Nightraven duelists told them. "After all she's the Deceiver; if anyone can get what they want or need, it's her."

And while Katarina took her turn at being carried by her very own Shadow, she wondered to herself. Can anyone truly trust a master of deception?


	8. Initiation of Partnership

**Took my time with this one; not been in a particularly LoL mood since my last release. Sorry.**_  
_

**9th may be a while. I have some alright ideas but no way to link them to one another yet. Still having trouble with this site's formatting by the way**

* * *

_It's my fault_, Fiora thought as she walked through the palace's winding passages. The guilt over the disappearance of the second Du Coteau sister had not left her since the incident happened yesterday. The expressions of her fellow Noxians at that moment still remained fresh within her mind; looks of fear, horror and high concern for their lost family member. She expected that even General Du Coteau himself would be unhappy despite his apparent trust in his children to make it through things alive; this one daughter of his was not fit for combat of any sort.

Yes, Fiora had met the man who sired the Sinister Blade, the Serpent's Embrace and the other, 'normal' daughter. The very same man whom Talon had willingly pledged loyalty to, and he was the only ever to receive it.

The General had been there upon the first day Fiora had become one of the Black Rose, and surprisingly, he was a 'good friend' of Madame Nightraven. From the way her mother treated the roughened General, she guessed that maybe there was a little more than friendship in mind, which made her question where the General's original missus had gone. However she would not look into such matters due to respect for the both of them.

Aside from that, Fiora wondered why LeBlanc kept the General hidden from his children. Was it for mere entertainment purposes, or something more? Did he himself insist on keeping hidden? Either did not seem so hard to believe. For the latter, the General could be testing them. Surely every parent wanted to know how capable their offspring were without their aid. It made them feel proud to have brought them into the world.

In fact for her case, it was quite a reality that Fiora's mother wanted to test her. She recalled the memory of the past day, when she had returned and everyone was discussing their situation to LeBlanc.

_"I see no reason to panic," The Deceiver had said after hearing about the disappearance of the girl. She appeared to be very relaxed on her throne, possibly creating some inner irritations with the audience that remained unspoken. "This can be solved quite simply."_

_The throne room was more inviting than their previous meeting with the Black Rose leader. For one thing the door was left open, and there were more people around than before; the entire posse of the Elite mages stood almost silently at different positions in the area, long cloaks shifting slightly whenever they turned to whisper to a fellow mage about unknown subjects. They blocked view of a few of the mirrors, preventing too much of the infinite-room effect from occurring. _

_"Simply?" Cassiopeia wondered aloud. The gorgon seemed to be a lot calmer than before, to the confusion of those nearby. Her calm was possibly a mask she had managed to put in place of her raw emotion for the benefit of everyone's, including her own, thought processes. Right now she would just want to see her sister safe and would work with anyone for it._

Thinking off topic, Fiora went back to her fight against Katarina. While restrained Cassiopeia had not attempted to petrify the Nightraven Duelists, nor deliver a poisonous bite to them. Had she held back on purpose, or was it truly impossible for her to do it at the time? Whichever it was, the Du Coteaus had grown weak. The General would not accept them in this current state, and surely even Talon knew this.

The Black Rose would undoubtedly try to refine their abilities before LeBlanc revealed their father to them, and before they were sent into action, too. Fiora had been tested within the first two days of arriving and asked to perform at her absolute best. The opponent was a very powerful illusion designed to push her to her furthest limit, or punish her severely if she didn't. The harshness of the test was to the point that if she had failed she might have died.

Fortunately Fiora had managed to destroy it.

_"I shall be briefing a plan to a few of my most trusted Elites on how we will rescue your sister," LeBlanc had said yesterday, and some of the Elites mentioned seemed slightly more elated than before. "It won't be difficult now we have certain allies on our side. For example Talon, you will be included in this plan."_

_The assassin gave her a look, but then nodded. "I'll need to know what I'm to be doing," He stated, accepting that he was now owned by the Black Rose leader, "and I guess I'll be alone?"_

_LeBlanc sighed. "Normally I would send Katarina along too, but she appears incapable at this time..."_

_She said it with such a tone that Fiora thought she must be asking if anyone could replace the Sinister Blade. And much to her surprise, it was Madame Nightraven who answered the call._

_"May I suggest you send my daughter? Fiora might only be considered a duelist, but she is a Nightraven too. We can step as lightly as your assassins and infiltrate without a sound. She may not have learnt much of stealth just yet, but if she is to accompany someone as renowned as Talon it should come quickly."_

_LeBlanc clapped her hands together. "But of course!" she exclaimed. "If we cannot send Katarina, we send the one responsible for that; how fitting."_

_Now it was Fiora's turn to give a look to the Deceiver. Crossing her arms, she responded. "I had my reasons!"_

And so it was done.

If working with Talon was what she had to do, the Grand Duelist would not have him holding any grudge against her. A whole day it had taken for her to think over what she was to do, and a part of her still couldn't believe she was even doing it. Being away from the Demacian world she was used to, outside of her comfort zone; it would take some time before she was accustomed to this. Noxians were now her comrades and Demacians… Were now her enemy?

Long it had been since Demacia and Noxus had engaged in warfare due to the peacemaking of the League of Legends, but they still held ill will for one another. If not for the League would she be fighting; maybe even killing; the very people who she'd grown up alongside? It was a thought that stuck with her as she ascended a flight of stairs, illuminated in a purple glow from floating torches lining the wall beside her. Shaking thoughts away as she moved off into a long corridor, she hoped she wasn't too late for her current plan.

She had only just reached her destination when to her relief Talon arrived on the scene. He eyed her questioningly, his mind working to figure out why Fiora of all people would be barring his way into his room.

"I'd like to apologize," she said, and with a serious tone. "If I hadn't been so foolish and did what I did, we may have been able to prevent this."

"You really don't need to be saying sorry," Talon told her, but he looked like he appreciated it if only a little. "You're not the one responsible."

"Regardless, I feel like I am," Fiora replied. "And I don't want us off on a bad start. We're to work together now, and it wouldn't be helpful."

He gave her a nod. Fiora quickly realized he wouldn't say anything. "I should go; I'll need sleep if we're going to go rescue your… uh?"

"Fan girl," Talon enlightened her. "That one's crazy for me." His mind revisited old and unwanted memories of being mobbed by said girl upon entering the same room as her, and he groaned irritably.

Fiora was amused at how he could dislike and yet care for someone at the same time. It was a good ability, one she could do with learning. So long she'd cared only for herself, her 'family' and their lost honour, for nothing. Now it was the time to change, to protect new and more numerous companions; maybe she could grow stronger this way too?

"Right. Goodnight then," Fiora said, and began to walk away.

The Blade's Shadow watched her thoughtfully for a moment before retreating to his room. He did not notice the figure that skipped past in the corridor outside when he closed the doors, and when he dreamed that night it showed him a strange and unexpected vision.


	9. Dragonblade and Lady

**This chapter is sort of two smaller chapters in one. There were some things I had to tie up, I guess, and couldn't really expand too far on them as it is. There's a slight element of romance coming in now but I don't plan on making too much of a fuss about it; this is not going to turn into a full romance thing. It's just fun, that's all.**

* * *

_That was a strange dream._ _But if it were to become a reality, wouldn't that be interesting? _

_No Talon, you can't think of such things at a time like this. It'll only get in the way of everything. Besides, what would Cassiopeia do if it happened, especially after all that's going on right now? You can't risk that. Not even if Katarina would approve of it._

Talon was snapped back to reality by the arrival of the Nightravens, who had appeared in a band of seven.

"You're going to need a change of clothes for this mission." Madame Nightraven told him, handing over a wrapped bundle. He accepted it as was logical; all of Noxus knew Talon's signature blue outfit and he would be recognized instantly by those they wished to avoid.

Talon half-smiled and thanked them. "Ah well, I guess it's time. To come out of hiding as I might put it."

The surrounding Nightravens were confused by his statement.

The assassin removed his cloak and shook his hair out, drawing surprised expressions upon their faces. The black colour of his hair was not the cause of attention, but rather the length. It was a lot longer than one would expect considering how well he'd kept it hidden in his hood all this time, and without a single strand displaying itself to the outside world.

"I get it," Fiora said and the duelists looked to her. "Talon has never shown anyone his hair before, nobody would expect him to either."

"Judging by your reactions to it I don't think I even have to explain how right she is." The assassin told them. "Hopefully with my hair and this bundle here I'll look like an entirely different man."

He'd walked a dozen steps away, heading to try the new clothing on, when Fiora grabbed his arm. He looked back at her questioningly.

"Mother forgot something," she explained, handing it to him and glaring at Madame Nightraven for being forgetful. She had passed him a lethal-looking blade that the Madame had given her. "They call it the Dragonblade; they reforged it so it fits with your style. It's a Nightraven heirloom, but duelists have no real use for that type of sword."

Talon took a moment to examine the weapon closely, admiring the fine work of the original weaponsmith but feeling wary. He knew accepting this could leave him in debt of the Nightravens. He was in a bad position as it was; forced to swear allegiance to the Black Rose and now the duelists could possibly expect the same. Never had he wanted to belong to anyone other than the General yet now his freedoms were being limited to whatever his new authorities wished of him.

However, if he didn't take the weapon he risked both the success of the mission and the trust of these powerful allies; allies which LeBlanc kept pulling from everywhere. How much longer would it be before she had a force big enough for whatever desire drove her peacemaking?

"It's a very fine work," He told them, and meant it. He definitely wanted the Dragonblade even if it meant being bound to Fiora's family. It was as beautiful as it was different, and it could be that difference that aided in his disguise for the coming events… or aided in destruction of them.

Luckily for Talon his style of assassination had become popular in Noxus during recent years or the disguise would altogether be in vain. More weapons had been forged in the very same manner as his favoured arm attachment dagger, and several assassins had trained in wielding them.

"Will you take it?" Madame Nightraven asked him. Her voice's tone was not impatient nor did it seem pushy, but he felt obligated to answer immediately. Time was not in its excesses after all.

"I will." Talon replied quickly. "Thankyou." His departure now was swift, before anything else could be said.

Fiora turned to her mother as she watched the Blade's Shadow leave. "He seems a bit worried about something, doesn't he? And I don't think it's just the girl that's missing, there's more than that."

Madame Nightraven laughed, and said, "He thinks his freedoms are being taken away from him, it's a phase we all go through. Let me tell you a thing or two though." She held her daughter close like she were a young child and spoke quietly. "Talon will come to realize that he has more freedoms here than he had in Noxus. And if you wish to follow him along that path, I don't mind."

Fiora squirmed out of her grasp and frowned, knowing what her mother had been thinking instantly. "You would have me become his partner, wouldn't you?" She said in disbelief.

"But you already are his partner." Madame Nightraven told her as if it were obvious. And it was the truth. Fiora was to work with Talon from now on; it had been decided by LeBlanc herself... with the input of Madame Nightraven. She got the feeling that LeBlanc wasn't the only one around here who enjoyed manipulating people.

"Don't play with me mother," Fiora said, serious. "You know what I mean."

The woman sighed. "Fiora, honey, I would not force anything upon you. Everything depends on what you feel is right, not my opinions."

Now it was the Grand Duelist's turn to leave. She could not believe that her mother would have paired her up with an assassin not just for her career benefits but in hope that some sort of romance would spark between them. It wasn't that Talon was a bad choice; the idea made more sense than it ever could have in the past. It was that if anything really did happen now, she wouldn't feel the same as she would if her mother didn't intervene. Or would she?

Already she could sense a change in the way she would view him because of this incident. Whatever emotion was to blossom she hoped it wouldn't interrupt her focus on their mission. And as she remembered her earlier thought of her mother enjoying manipulation, she wondered who her family's relatives might be and shivered at the thought.

_I'd never want to be related to a deceiving witch, no matter how good her intentions are._

* * *

Swain sat down upon the throne of Noxus out of pure boredom. As a High General he hardly needed to be stuck on a chair daily to run his country, but occasionally the urge to play pretend was too much and he would act out as if he were a normal king. Nothing very interesting had happened since he rose to the top and it saddened him a little. Who would have thought that the fight to capture a position would be more fun than having it in the end?

But there were so many privileges he possessed now; basically the ability to do anything and everything he wanted to. And recently, he'd kidnapped one of the Du Coteaus in hope it would make something entertaining. However, entertainment just wasn't coming fast enough as it was.

"Darius," Swain said unenthusiastically. The Hand of Noxus gave him immediate attention at the sound of his name. "I want the guards to bring the prisoner in here."

Darius nodded and left the room momentarily. Shortly after his return the two heard footsteps coming up a staircase to the right, and the Du Coteau girl was dragged unwillingly across the floor.

"You could at least be gentler with such a fragile woman," Swain told them, but truthfully he didn't care. "Tell me girl, what is your name? Nobody's ever mentioned you before."

She looked back at him with defiance; a small kick from one of the guards loosened her jaw. "My name," she began, yet it did not come to her. A sudden sadness swept over her as she realized. "My name… Hasn't been used in so long I don't remember it." She slumped as far as she could with the guards holding onto her arms.

Swain raised an eyebrow. It wouldn't be believable if she wasn't showing so much raw emotion over it. "Is that so? Such treatment on a lady like you hardly seems fair, does it not?"

She avoided eye contact with the High General, but she felt he was right. Nobody of her status had ever really paid much attention to her, and her sisters were the only ones to show the slightest bit of care. Not even Talon, who she had admired for so long, seemed to give a damn. Would he even be worried now that she had disappeared? Probably not, she thought. And it wouldn't matter anyway.

"It isn't fair," she agreed, daring to look at him again. "None of them would say my name. None of them would speak to me enough. I was just called Lady, by servants, who were forced to speak!"

Swain smiled in amusement. She was angry at her own kind, and it was priceless. He knew he could make something of this, and he would have fun doing it too. Oh the joy, such an opportunity sent to him after days and days of nothing but the same routine.

"Then Lady you shall be named, and all of them will call your name or fall to the ground in death," Swain announced, rising from his throne and imitating glory. "I know how to help you get revenge, my dear. It will be a lot easier than you'd believe."

He had piqued her interest, using her emotions to make her his own pawn. It was beautifully well done, as is expected from a mastermind such as him. The girl was probably stupid enough for him to use her in whatever way he wanted now.

Lady Du Coteau broke free from the guards, who did not try to stop her, and stepped forward eagerly. "Tell me how I can do this, please!" She begged, desperate for the attention she had long been deprived of.

"Before I do, I must know how devoted you will be to our cause," Swain said, continuing to smile at her.

"I'll do anything to prove my devotion," She responded, and he thanked that she were as brainless as he'd guessed she was. This was going to be far too easy.

"Anything you say? Well then, I want you to marry Darius." Swain demanded, and he laughed inside at the reaction of the Hand of Noxus beside him, who was completely baffled. It was a truly rare sight.

Lady Du Coteau however looked at him like he was mad.

The High General explained himself. "You'd make a beautiful wife for him, and if you bore him any children they would become most powerful assets to Noxus. Just imagine the offspring of two of the best bloodlines in Runeterra!"

"I see…" Lady Du Coteau said after pondering over the suggestion. "It's actually beginning to make sense now. I'm not strong, I can't learn magic, and of course my children and husband would be the ones to enforce my status amongst society; all I have is my beauty and blood."

Darius had pulled himself together again, mostly. Swain had a hunch that the Hand of Noxus was cursing him within his mind for not warning him beforehand. Not even Swain knew that he would be throwing the executioner into an arranged marriage, but he knew Darius wouldn't do anything about it. As if proving this knowledge, Darius moved towards his new fiancé cautiously and turned to face the High General.

"If this is what you wish, it will happen." He told Swain. "She better be worth it."

"Ah, she will be." Swain reassured him and left them, taking his guards with him.

Darius was now alone with a woman he knew nothing about other than that he was expected to live with her for the rest of his life, and oh was it awkward. She was silent as the grave now, probably just as nervous as he was. This was going well. Where in the world was his brother when his presence could have made things go easier? Then again no, that wasn't right. Draven was going to laugh when he heard about this for sure, and Darius would never hear the end of it.

But hey, at least he was given a woman he could keep. Draven was running around with girls that weren't even human these days, and Zyra definitely wouldn't ever be the Glorious Executioner's wife let alone live in Noxus. Or at least, that's what he thought. Those two were quite inseparable ever since the day they met…


End file.
